Middleton WI Aims To Break Minnesota Grip on Heartland

By Paul Schmitz of DyeStat

Boys Heartland NXR Preview 

Teams from Minnesota have won the Heartland regional title 10 out of 11 years, with Bismarck ND taking the only other win in 2012. Six times the crown has gone to Wayzata MN, including the past two. Wayzata will be in the hunt once again in 2018, but the pick to win this year's Heartland title comes from Wisconsin, and it's Middleton.  

Middleton dominated the Wisconsin state meet in 2017 and came away with a 101-point victory, besting second-place Stevens Point by a 76-177 margin. The Cardinals went on to take 16th at NXN.

Even in a slightly down year, Wayzata is still the pick in Minnesota. The Trojans lose five of their top six from the Heartland race a year ago. An injury to one of their top runners, Grant Price, dampened their national aspirations as they finished 11th at NXN. If Price returns to form, Wayzata could knock of Middleton and keep the steak alive given the program's depth under coach Mark Popp.  

Behind Middleton and Wayzata, Dowling Catholic of Iowa is in the best position to challenge for a trip to Portland. Dowling Catholic placed third at the Iowa state meet in 2017, but was able to add Cole Schroeder, who returned to the lineup after missing the state meet due to an injury. DC ran its best race of the year and finished third, missing a trip to Portland by just 19 points after losing its state meet by 45. If Dowling Catholic can find one or two runners in the back of its lineup to run with the top four, NXN is a realistic team goal.  

After the top three, there is a considerable dropoff. Minnesota historical powerhouses Edina and Stillwater come in at four and five, based on solid spring results on the track and deep running programs. St. Thomas Aquinas is again the top team coming out of Kansas and the Saints are picked right where they finished last year at NXR Heartland, sixth.  

A sleeper team to keep an eye on comes out of North Dakota. Oil boomtown Williston ND has seen its population double in the past 10 years and it has a cross country team on the rise. The Coyotes finished second at the NDHSAA state meet last year and return all seven runners, and only one of them is a senior. It will be a three-horse race in North Dakota with returning champion Century and Legacy also in the mix.  

1. Middleton WI.  The WIAA Division I champions return five of the top seven, including a formidable trio at the top of Caleb Easton, Roman Ystenes and Michael Madoch.

2. Wayzata MN.  The perennial power from Minnesota is always a factor in the region, but after losing five important seniors, there could be a period of adjustment.

3. Dowling Catholic IA. The top team in Iowa was 19 points out of a trip to nationals last year and look to put everything together for another run at an NXN berth.

4. Edina MN. Senior Maxwell Manley will be a force for the Hornets after running 4:13 for 1,600 meters and 9:08.90 for 3,200 meters in the spring. He was fifth in the Class AA state cross country final last fall.

5. Stillwater MN. Senior Addison Stansbury was seventh in the AA state meet last fall and returns to lead the Ponies.

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